#[ two times the trouble | hotd | au ] | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

mythicmanuscripts · 3 months ago

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Okay, the person who sent the vampire ask awakened something in me, because all my faves from HOTD fit at least one trope of vampire romance/erotica.

We've already established pretty boy Aegon (as usual, love that for him).

I totally agree that Aemond fits in the vampire role (I mean, look at his aesthetic. Boy's right at home there), where he's smitten with a human and refuses to acknowledge that he was basically stalking them at the beginning, until said human calls him out and shows no fear of him, they're just pissed off. And that does it, he's down even worse than he already was.

I feel Daemon and Rhaenyra would also fit vampire roles, with Daemon being the one who turned Rhaenyra, and she took to being a vampire like a fish to water. I think they'd be the type that has several "partners" they feed from, on a somewhat regular basis, but they also enjoy "hunting" every now and again, Daemon especially. They don't kill anyone, but they do enjoy the fear they can feel from the person they're feeding from.

Then One human shows up that seems immune to both Daemon's charms, and threaths, and Rhaenyra is living for it, she's having the time of her life watching him being flustered. And that's how they end up with a regular partner, not just in the feeding sense.

And of course, our boy Jace. I just feel like he would be such a good fit for an ingenue kinda trope? Noble birth, slightly sheltered, intelligent as hell, maybe too curious for his own good. He stumbles upon a vampire feeding on someone, nearly killing them, and ends up conflicted when he finds out the person was a reprehensible sort of criminal (like, heavy shit, type of criminal). And he keeps seeking the vampire out, even after being turned away because he's a stranger at that point, they don't trust him.

But he's relentless, and gets himself into trouble, and the vampire saves him, and he's head over heels for them.

TRULY INCREDIBLE THOUGHTS HERE OH MY GOD?? Anon I love you.

I'm gonna write a little bit about each of these ideas and then we can go from there! All ideas in this AU will be tagged with 'supranational!au' so block that if you don't want to see this or search it to see everything thus far :))

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AEGON:

Okay I know this anon didnt even mention much about him but I must briefly discuss pretty boy Aegon!!! Pretty boy Aegon who just absolutely ADORES the vampire who fucked his brains out that one time and now he's obsessed.

Everyone else thinks you're absolutely terrifying, and for good reason, but does Aegon care? No absolutely not. In fact, he gets rid of his personal kings guard and just has you instead. The kings guard can patrol the keep and stand watch outside his quarters but none of them even get close to him anymore because he's got a vampire behind him at all times.

And just one more quick thing about Aegon: originally you don't intend to only drink from Aegon because you don't want to put that much pressure on him and risk harming him. Aegon, however, is very possessive and will be very unhappy if you feed from another.

AEMOND:

Absolutely love the idea that Aemond essentially stalked someone for a solid two weeks without even knowing. Even better if you actually knew he was following you. He's not exactly subtle about it, especially because if he's standing behind you then anyone in front of you will look utterly terrified.

The way that you interact with him without fear just gets him completely hooked and yeah you just have a vampire following you around now.

Also, I kinda love the idea that Aemond actually doesn't seem capable of being the same level dangerous and skilled when he's around you? It's like he gets your scent or your attention or lord help him your blood and he just... brain off. No more Aemond.

DAEMON AND RHAENYRA:

Okay I LOVE this idea and I can't believe I never considered this concept with them. I definitely agree Daemon would have changed Rhaenya and then hunt together regularly. They're absolutely a couple that would love to fuck whoever they're feeding from at the same time.

I think Rhaenyra would be interested in you first. She'd sport you and have a conversation with you and discover that he really likes talking to you (and complaining about every single member of her small council because of course). You only meet Daemon about a week later, maybe when Rhaenyra invites you to dinner with them. Of course she had told Daemon all about you, and Daemon was certainly excited thinking they'd get a good feed and bed partner out of this.

To Daemon's dismay and Rhaenyra's delight, you don't even react to any of Daemon's attempts at flirting and seduction. You just listen to him and smile, but don't seem flustered at all.

Originally Rhaenyra had hoped to bed you with Daemon that night, but now that she's watching how worked up Daemon is becoming and how good you are at handling him? Well she's more than happy to have a front row seat to your interactions with Daemon.

For the next 3 weeks Daemon is adamant that they will never bring you into their bed, not for sex or for a feed or for both. Rhaenyra just nods and smiles to herself becasue she knows with absolute certainty that you absolutely will end up in bed with them. If Daemon truly didnt want to fuck you then he wouldnt still be talking about you weeks later.

The very first sexual thing to happen is you and Rhaenyra fucking while Daemon can only watch. He had finally made one too many ridiculous comments and so you put him in his place.

And so, Rhaenyra gets to sleep with you and drink from you while all her husband may do is watched. Eventually when you're satisfied with Daemon's punishment, you allow him to come join you two in bed. He ends up drinking from you while Rhaenyra strokes him.

The last thing he says before he falls asleep is to mumble, "We are never letting you out of this bed"

JACAERYS:

Absolutely love the thought of Jace just sort of stumping into a vampire. Maybe he was in a dodgy part of town? Like maybe he had been dragged out by Aegon but then Aegon abandoned him and now he has no idea where he is. It's while he's wandering around trying to find his way that he finds you.

You're feeding when he sees you, and as much as you want to just ignore him, he's far too pretty and far too scared for that. I think he'd run away at first, and you cant figure out why you did this, but you run after him. And it's damn good that you did becasue you find him being cornered by some people who clearly want to mug him.

Needless to say none of them made it to first light. Once they've all been dealt with, you look at Jace and he is just in awe. You escort him back to the red keep and think that's that.

Except no of course it's not Jace is desperate to find you again, and so maybe... maybe he goes back to that very dodgy area, just wandering around on his own and trying to spot you.

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missglaskin · 2 years ago

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Yan!HOTD AU (Velaryon, Hightowers, Targaryens) Part 1:

Note-This is a rewrite, also the relationship mostly focused now is on Daemon, Rhaenyra, and Viserys. The other families will be more focused in later parts.

Tags: Some canon scenes of violence (tourney), this is mainly platonic but romantic pairings will come later, scene by scene in ep1, family fluff, character death, child!reader/adopted!reader, cringe writing

The clouds seem close enough to touch. Wind blows harshly against your face, almost blurring your vision. Yet it feels all the more exhilarating. Suddenly diving into the air, you shriek in excitement, reaching your hands to grab the saddles all too tightly as the hands around your waist do the same.

Your sister, Rhaenyra, can be heard giggling. Her dragon, Syrax, roars as it soars through the sky. The clouds begin to clear and king’s landing comes to view once again. Overlooking the red keep from above. The birds scatter in all different directions. Then the dragon keep is in your line of sight.

Syrax comes to land. The dragon keepers surround her, shouting commands in high valyrian. Rhaenyra moves from behind you. Her feet landing on the ground. You follow her. Jumping down, almost tumbling if not for her grabbing you. Your ears are filled with Syrax’s purring, and before the two of you leave, you both pet her. Watching as she follows the dragon keepers.

Your sister’s hand finds yours, both walking to the carriage. Alicent greets you there, a reliving smile on her face. “Don’t tell mother,” Rhaenyra told the two of you during the ride. You simply nod as you observe the passersby through the windows.

The three of you walk across the castle halls and up the stairs. Arms all linked together. A common sight at court. It still takes you by surprise when the servants or the lords stop and bow when greeting you. You’re not sure if you will ever get used to it, but Rhaenyra and Alicent assure you otherwise.

You find yourself at the chambers of your mother. The smoke permeates the air with servants at every corner. Your mother, the queen, is seen laid back, fanning herself. It’s when she notices you and Rhaenyra, does she try to sit up. And by the tone of her voice when she addresses you both-you know what it means. You’re in trouble. Still, you approach and kiss her on the cheek. “You smell like dragon,” she says, eyes narrowing on Rhaenyra.

As expected, you were given a lecture. A lecture that didn’t last long. And the topic was soon changed. A topic your sister didn’t like all too well. Not long before, your sister went to leave. “Go take a bath as well,” your mother tells you, “you too stink of dragon.”

You shake your head, “I don’t want to leave you.” Despite all her best efforts, you can sense how this all pains her. Memories of your previous brothers’and sisters running through your head. In response, she smiles.. Hand reaching to cradle your cheek. “I will be fine sweet girl, now go along.” Hesitantly, you obey.

Alicent and Rhaenyra each take your hand. You look at the queen one last time. Whose smile never withers. A feeling of ease washes over you, returning her smile.

Dragon stench is hard to wash off. You still reek of it even after spending much time in the bath, using every available scent imaginable. The one that managed to at least help cover the stench was the one gifted to you by Uncle Corlys. It’s from Essos, quite rare. Aunt Rhaenys told you of it. After the bath, you walk around the hallways in search of Alicent. Until your ears perk up at a familiar sound.

As you sneak around the corner, your footsteps become quieter. Eyes fixed on the tall figure’s back. Uncle Daemon. As you move on tiptoe, your feet inched closer and closer with each step. You squeal, “Uncle Daemon!” as you leap, embracing him from behind. He doesn’t seem surprised, as if he heard you coming from a long way away.

With a smile reserved just for you, he turns to face you. You grin at the name he gave you. Little Dragon. And then your eyes catch the sight of something. The moment you instinctively reach for the shiny object he has clutched in his hands, he lifts his hand up. It’s a necklace.

“Do you know what this is.” You shake your head. Daemon can see how eager you are to hold it in your hands and chuckles at your impatience. It is made of Valyrian steel. Your uncle tells you. Eyes widening at the dangling metal. It’s like dark sister. Eyes shifting to the sword fastened to his hip.

He finally places the necklace around your neck. Rhaenyra also has one. At the mention of your sister, you wave him goodbye. Not even waiting for him to speak as you are running through the hallways. Being able to finally breathe when the weirwood tree is in view. There was your sister and Alicent lying on the grass. Why did it take you so long, Rhaenyra asks. Simply by displaying your necklace to her, she immediately understands and eagerly displays her own.

Alicent tries to have you recite your lessons, but it’s all the more difficult with Rhaenyra there. Rhaenyra has her head on Alicent’s lap and you copy her. The two of you exchange looks and you can’t help but smile every time you do so. But it does make Alicent more frustrated, more so when the conversation shifts.

The mention of your mother makes you frown. You remembered the last baby. They came much earlier than they should. Your father never made you see them. But they all spoke of how it came out, the bloodied and horrible state they were in.

Your mother mourned them, and with every child’s death. There were three sides pulling at you: your mother, your father, your sister. You didn’t know how to ease their grief, so you just let them hold you close. Soon, you were brought back to reality by Alicent moving from under you. The grass gently pressed against the back of your head.

It didn’t take you long to get back to your feet and move over to Rhaenyra, watching her tear the page from the book. Alicent scolds her, and once again when she curses, she doesn’t want you to hear such things. But uncle Daemon says it all the time along with other words. You told her. Alicent’s stunned face and Rhaenyra’s amused smile greeted you.

Late at night, you hear a knock. The door opens and when you see who it is; you run to his arms. As he pats you on the head, your father-Viserys can’t help but chuckle. One cannot fault your excitement, as you haven’t seen him all day. Your father told you he needed to see you before he heads to sleep; he sorely missed you.

He helps you to the bed. Climbing into the mattress and lying on the pillow as he tucks you in. His lips lightly touch your forehead as he bids you goodnight. When your father turns to leave, you had to ask of your mother and he assures you she will be fine before closing the door.

As soon as you got dressed after waking up, you went to see your mother. Only a few days from now, labor will begin. She told you. You were giddy with excitement. With an ear pressed to the now-moving belly from their kicks. You hoped it was a girl. You and Rhaenyra have already decided on the name-Visenya. But once more, your time was shortened as your mother needed her rest.

After saying goodbye to your mother, you moved through the hallways and overheard the nobles passing you, mentioning your uncle. That and a watch of some sort. Daemon was frequently uttered on their lips. As Alicent would say, always getting in trouble.

It ought to have been a coincidence you passing the council chamber. Hearing the hushed voices from behind the doors, you paused. The guards behind you halt in response. The doors suddenly swing wide open, revealing your uncle. Wearing his bronze armor with a gold cloak draped over his side. The splatters of blood on his armor and face are what caught your attention.

Upon seeing you, his expression slightly softened. Behind, the doors are shut. Looking up at him-you ask him what happened. “Just a little trouble.” Was all you got before he patted you on the head-heading to leave. You could only watch as he disappeared further into the distance.

Time seemed to be passing by too quickly. Given that today is the Tournament.

Everyone was here. Commoners and nobles alike. Each and every face, including yours, is beaming. Sitting right next to Alicent, the empty seat on the other side designated for your sister who has not yet arrived. As you wait for the game to begin, you look around the royal box.

In no time at all, you’ve caught your father’s eye, tilting his head with a large smile on his face, and you eagerly return it. The eyes of Rhaenys and Corlys have been fixed on you as well. Their smiles too greet you. The same can’t be said for Alicent, who appears tense, but seeing your smile helps ease her.

Finally, the king begins talking. To which you then catch a glimpse of her. Rhaenyra. Bending down and moving quickly to her seat, yet still causing a slight distraction. Then, in his speech, your father declares that the queen’s labor has at last started. A thought that made you feel both excited and uneasy. Yet your smile never wavers.

Then, just as quickly as it started, a trumpet sound reached your ears. Signaling the matches has begun. Finding your attention solely on the scene in front of you. As the men charge at one another, their lances collide with one another’s shields.

Your heart slightly races when one of them lands on the ground, wincing at the thought of the pain that must follow, all the broken bones. In spite of this, the crowd cheers at every clash and every fall. Amidst this, Rhaenyra and Alicent are speaking to one another. More than once, the word cole can be heard.

As if in response to the mention of his name. A knight comes into focus, and you are certain that throughout all of your lessons with the septa, you have never seen a sigil quite like that. Silently, you follow the conversation between Rhaenyra and Alicent. Throughout the entire thing, you could not take your eyes off the mystery knight who seemed to prevail over every opponent. This time it was lord Baratheon.

When the drums are heard and the cheering gets louder. You know who will come next. Daemon. You and Rhaenyra exchange a brief look of excitement. With his lance in hand and black armor, Daemon approaches. He almost looks like a dragon. When Daemon picks an opponent. The lance points to the man wearing the Hightower sigil. Your attention turned to Otto, who was slightly shaking his head in annoyance.

You hold your breath as you tensely watch the two rush toward one another. The lance nearly knocks Daemon off his horse when it collides with his shield. However, the second time, Daemon emerged victorious. His lance moved down to the horse’s legs and sent it tumbling down, with Otto’s son being flung from the horse. His helmet knocked off right before his face collided with the ground. Along the court, you gasp in shock. Casting a quick glance at Alicent, who appears anxious at her brother’s state.

Your uncle approaches the royal box. Rhaenyra ascends, and you follow her. “Nicely done uncle,” she muses. “Thank you princess”. His lance then gestures in Alicent’s direction, asking for her favor.

The moment you turn to return to your seat. Otto is seen whispering something to your father, who appears to be cornered at what he just heard. Growing nervous when the king hurriedly leaves his set and follows Otto out. But when you hear another man fall off his horse, your focus is drawn back to the scene.

Then it happens. The man on the ground yelled furiously as he reached for his weapon, lunging at the other man on his horse, knocking him to the ground. The man who had just been knocked down did not have time to react before the metal slammed into his face.

You thought that Daemon’s doing to Otto’s son was the worst of today. But the scene in front of you was even more horrifying. What were once lances charging at one another are now swords clashing and fists pounding. Bloodshed after bloodshed.

Your hands clutched Rhaenyra’s without realizing, and she placed her other hand over yours. “Look away,” she tells you, and you do. Yet the metallic sounds of the swords clashing into one another are still heard. With every strike, the crowd is a mix of cheers and gasps of horror.

It’s the match between Daemon and the mystery knight that makes you look again. Still holding hands with Rhaenyra, utterly terrified of the outcome. When Daemon was thrown off his horse, you felt like you could breathe again. Any feelings of relief, however, are dashed when Daemon cries out for his sword. As you watch them battle it out on the ground, your hold on Rhaenyra becomes tighter.

Daemon’s victory brings back the feeling of relief. His arms are open wide to the cheering crowd as he soaked in the praise. You were about to start cheering before he was abruptly knocked to the ground. A sudden rush of dread is felt-believing this may be the end.

Until he yields.

All three of you are heading to the rail with Rhaenyra’s hand in Alicent’s and her other hand never leaving yours. Watching as the mystery knight finally reveals his face. He is Dornish. The knight walks over to Rhaenyra-asking for her favor. Your sister throws him the flower crown and he catches it.

When Otto entered view, the joyous moment was long gone. The lord and ladies begin to slowly stand while whispering to others nearby, and everyone follows to leave, even Leanor and Laena. You and Rhaenyra exchange a knowing look. And one of fear. She’s the one who reaches for your hand this time.

The queen is dead and the baby that followed.

Cold winds blow harshly on your face, making you shiver. Trying your best to hold back the tears. Crying is a weakness your septa told you. You must not let others see your weakness. You stay close to Viserys, whose eyes hardly strayed from the ground. Holding hands with Rhaenyra.

Daemon comes up to you two. Your sister reluctantly releases your hand as she takes a step forward. When your sister shouts the command, you are unable to look at the burned body and inch closer to the person who is closest to you, Daemon, whose hands end up on your shoulders.

Shortly after the body was burned. You found yourself seated on the bench. Laenor and Laena come up to you. Laena sits beside you and Laenor moves to your side, each taking your hand. It was a quiet moment that meant the world to you.

Not long after, Rhaenys comes into view with Corlys by her side. As they take you into their arms, you feel the tears you’ve been holding back for so long start to fall down your cheeks. Corlys reaches out to wipe your tears. Just as you’re about to return to your chambers, Rhaenys gives you one last piece of advice. Be strong.

Late at night in your chambers. The pillows beneath you are sodden from all the tears. Hearing the door open, you quickly close your eyes, assuming it might be your father. However, as you sense their hasty approach to your bed, and them slipping under the covers. You realize it's Rhaenyra.

Your back faces her and your hand rests on the arm that she has just wrapped around you. There was a period of silence, before the muffled sounds of crying is heard. Feeling her clutch you together, your tears start to run down your cheeks once again. Alone in the chambers and away from everyone allows the two of you to grieve your mother’s passing.

The following day, Daemon visits you in your chambers. He was oddly surrounded by guards. "The king has given me one last chance to say goodbye." And you are left feeling hurt as he must bid farewell.

He gives you one final embrace. Whispering so the guards won't hear him. Promising to take you with him one day. He gestures to the necklace. Daemon demands you to keep it, and you nod in response. As he leaves. Your hand that grips his slides away. At the balcony, you watch as Caraxes takes off from the king's landing.

You hoped that it would just be one of those instances where your father would change his mind and bring him back. But Rhaenyra's visit that day persuaded you otherwise. All she said to you—apparently still in shock and trying to process what had just happened—was, "He made me heir."

Alicent is now in the chambers with you. Watching as she aids Rhaenyra in getting dressed. Placing the headpiece on her head. It was you who handed her the necklace; it feels heavy in your hands. As you place it around her neck, she waits patiently, kneeling to your level. Before she leaves, Rhaenyra gives you and Alicent one final embrace.

You are far away from everyone else-standing close to the king. As you witness, every house swore allegiance to your sister. Noticing the recognizable faces in the crowd. Before Rhaenyra turns to face the king and the rest of the court, you and she exchange a look. One that gives her the confidence to stand tall.

#yandere house of the dragon #yandere hotd #hotd x reader #house of the dragon x reader #platonic yandere #asoiaf x reader #yandere asoiaf #yandere x reader #yandere headcanons #daemon targaryen x reader #rhaenyra targaryen x reader #viserys targaryen x reader #alicent hightower x reader #corlys velaryon x reader #rhaenys targaryen x reader #reader insert #x reader

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dulcewrites · 2 years ago

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One Step Forward, Two Steps Back (modern au)

Pairing: Aegon II Targaryen x reader (wc: 3.6k)

Summary: Sometimes Aegon is sure that the Gods like playing tricks on him. Your reintroduction into his life only proves that further

A/N: the time has come for my Aegon work!! I’m so excited because this also my first time doing an modern au. I explained the idea more here. This will include all the hotd hits: mommy issues, daddy issues, the Targs being an all around messy family. This is my contribution to the tgc Aegon universe 🫡. Slight house keeping: Aemond has both of his eyes in this universe but the sight in one eye is diminishing/has been diminished over the years. Also there are certain elements I will be taking from hotd/asoiaf and the Faith of the Seven is one.

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You had always assumed that therapist offices would be sterile and cold. Or at the very least, annoyingly put together.

Cregan Stark’s office is nothing of the sort.

From deep red floors to the walls of antic books and shelves filled of knickknacks. The office is not what you expected to it be. It only makes you more anxious for this whole ordeal. The only indication of his credentials as a professional being the certificate from the University of Cambridge hanging on the wall. Even the laidback nature of him made you pause. Call me Cregan. Mr. Stark was my father.

Long brown hair pulled back, dark beard, stormy grey eyes, topped off with a flowy button-down shirt. He looks better suited chopping down wood somewhere than helping university students. Everyone seemed weary of the new addition to the dance department.

Your eyes flutter to the clock behind him then back to his warm eyes.

“I am sure you are wondering why I wanted to speak with you,” his voice is soft. There is an element of mirth that has you raising a brow.

You shrug in response. “Taking inventory of the inmates, I assume.”

The joke does seem not seem to land the way you thought it would. He gives you a incredulous look before shaking his head. Your mother always told you that your inability to keep to certain thoughts in your head would get you in trouble sooner or later.

“My new position here is to help the dancers, especially ones transitioning out of school, handle this year,” he begins. “A sounding board if you will. Listen to any problems. Assist with finding resources and opportunities beyond this point.”

You nod slowly, still not understanding why this meeting is cutting into your warmup time. Instinctively, you point then flex your foot in your fuzzy black boot. Your eyes go back to the clock. Gods, Aemond is going to tear into you if this does not wrap up soon.

“Most of the notes were positive,” he replies quickly, reading the furrow in your brow. “Bright, hard-working, and diligent were just a few things said.”

You let a breath you were holding in. Of course, that was what was said. You have dedicated your life to this; you expect nothing less than comments like that. They are sentiments you should not think but you know you are one of the most talented dancers in the program.

But then your mind drifts to something.

“Most?”

He gives you a pained smile. “There were a couple of comments that expressed concern about your… intensity and your health.”

You blink blankly at him.

“I don’t think I am any more intense than any other student here. We are all very serious about our art.”

Cregan nods. “I was informed about an incident that happened in your second term here. Something quite awful.”

Your blood runs cold, and you sniff stiffly in response. Please don’t you think.

“I am sorry for your loss.”

You try to keep your eye from twitching. There was a time in your life where all you wanted was someone to tell you that. To let you know that they feel bad for the situation you found yourself wallowing in… for the situation Marina found herself in.

That time is over.

“It has been over a year and a half,” you plaster on a smile. “Thank you for that, but I am doing fine.”

It was not lie. It really wasn’t.

Cregan hums softly. “Why don’t you and I make a deal. We meet each other once a week for the rest of the term. We can talk about how you are doing, and work towards you graduating.”

You feel your patience wearing horribly thin. It is not that you have a problem with therapy or counseling. You just don’t need it nor want it.

“Look, I appreciate the concern. I just don’t have time for weekly meetings. I have auditions for companies, finishing my classes strong. Also, an end of the year project… which is not going well so far.”

Your eyes go back to clock above him. You are so fucked.

“I do not have the time,” you repeat, not even clarifying if you mean for the meetings or this conversation. “I have too much on my plate.”

Cregan smiles, easy and cool. It softens the sternness that has settled into his long face.

“That is exactly why we need to do it.”

A sinking feeling gathers in your stomach. He is not going to take no for an answer, is he?

As you leave the room, new schedule in hand, all you can think about is how much you despise Cregan Stark. Your ire extends to whatever instructor told him you needed help in the first place. The walk to the practice studios is cold and damp. Somber weather matching the way you feel.

You must take a deep breath before going into the practice room. Aemond, perched at the piano, shoots you a glare. Ignoring his eyes burning into your back, you sit on the floor to put on your pointe shoes.

“I know you have little care for my time,” his voice cut through the room. Low and condescending. “But if you want to get through this, the least you can do is show up on time.”

You do not answer immediately, eyes focused on your shoes.

“It is just common sense.”

Aemond continues to lecture you about the importance of respecting people’s time. Perhaps if you told him about your meeting, he would let it go. But then again based off the few weeks you have spent with him, you know once he gets started, it is hard to stop him. His voice fades in the background as you stare at yourself in the mirror.

In your head, you repeat the affirmations you recite every morning.

You are talented, you are grounded, you are alive.

Aegon could not help but stare at the rain as it fell and splintered on the large class windows of the meeting room.

When he was younger, he hated the rain. The endless rolling clouds and damp days made him feel like he was in a bad nightmare. But the older he got, the more he started to appreciate the rain. Utterly soothed by the tip tap of rain against something solid. He could make a melody out of it. Plus, it helped him sleep.

He rarely got good nights of sleep.

The somber weather only added to the uninspiring atmosphere in the room. Aegon tried hard to listen. He fought hard to keep his eyes from glazing over. Placing fonder thoughts in his head kept him from outwardly expressing his boredom. Today, he thought of what he should get to dinner. Something hearty… or maybe something spicy. The thoughts lead to him texting his brother.

I can drive up. Want that Thai place around the corner from yr place

It took Aemond minutes to reply, but when he did it was a simple no. His brother was always a man of few words.

I’ll pay :)

He watched as the dots appear then disappear then reappear again. Aegon smiles at his phone when Aemond eventually says yes. He gives Aegon strict instructions to stay in the car and wait on him to come out.

“Aegon, are you listening?”

Aegon’s eyes shoot up from his phone to meet one that resembles his too much for comfort. Rhaenyra is eyeing him exasperated. There was slight tension at the beginning of the meeting when he gave her a funny look after she sat in the seat their father normally does. But he had no interest in arguing with Rhaenyra, at least not today.

“Yes, I hear you,” he clears his throat, and rubs one of his eyes.

“Long night?”

The smile is there when she says it but the words are condescending. Her smile works on others, but Aegon knows what lies beneath it. Such a delight to work with, Viserys would beam. Everything was easy when her eyes softened, and the corners of her lips go lopsided in a good-natured way. Aegon knows she must that to survive in this environment. Mask all her slender and confidence with smiles. He would respect it more if she did not try to play him like she does the other men in the firm.

Like he is one of father’s mindless cronies.

They share the same blood. Which means he knows they are both predisposed to thinking they know best by nature.

“I want to talk about reconsidering the pro bono option,” ok, maybe he does want an argument. Bothering Rhaenyra sparked a unique kind of joy in Aegon.

Rhaenyra’s brows furrow. Their brains had been hardwired differently by now; her business-oriented ideals sometimes working in direct contrast with the direction he thinks the firm should go in.

“I think the idea is one we should consider,” Tyland Lannister pipes up, voice chipper and full of mirth.

Rhaenyra’s gaze turns to him, completely unimpressed. Aegon had to bite back a smile. Tyland had a habit of siding with Aegon in meetings like this. The Lannisters, a family that has dipped their foot in any lucrative business they could find, not only had a history with Targaryens, but with the Hightowers as well. Rhaenyra had expressed to their father how much it bothered her. All she received was a wave of the hand; for all the special treatment he felt Viserys gave his eldest child, Aegon can say Viserys has never been good at laying down the law within the firm.

How he managed to run the company with that attitude was beyond Aegon.

With the slight support of Tyland, a couple of the other suits in the room nodded in agreement. Rhaenyra swallows, eyes shifting back to Aegon’s. When his sister is upset, he has noticed her eyes shift to a chill blue to a tempered iris.

She looks at him with a look that Aegon could only describe as pure exhaustion. The type of exhaustion that happens when you deeply resent someone. Somewhere down the line they took a sharp turn right, and never got back on track.

The irony of the distance between them, is that it was not always like that. His first memories of life are not with his mother, father, or even with the siblings he grew up in the same household with; they are with Rhaenyra. He has fuzzy recollections of teenage her blowing raspberries on his belly when he was a baby. They used to share knowing glances when their father went on tangents. She used to take him on trips to the park. Now Aegon finds himself wondering what things Rhaenyra whispers in Viserys’ ear when he is not around.

Maybe that was the last time Rhaenyra genuinely liked him. When he was younger with no motives or true thoughts of his own. He supposed he can’t blame her; that was the last time he liked being in his own body too.

There are times he looks at his sister, and he wants her to bring him into a hug. Rhaenyra always gave the best hugs, only rivaled by his mom. He wants to burst into tears and tell her that she was his first friend. That he needed her years ago. But then he remembers the look of disbelief he received when Viserys said Aegon would be working for the firm.

The coldness is better. His heart doesn’t break multiple times over anymore.

“Aegon and I can discuss that later,” Rhaenyra says after a minute. She stands to leave. “This meeting is over.”

She’s frustrated. He can tell by the way she leaves the room without a single glance his way. One thing they do have in common is the bone-chilling urge to flee a place whenever things get too difficult or when they get too annoyed. Could be self-preservation. Could be them sparring others the anger Targaryens are known for.

Aegon sits for a moment as everyone else filters out of the room. The rain comes down harder against the windows. He closes his eyes listening to way it bangs against the building.

Tip tap tip tap

He identifies with the rain. Moody, surly, gloomy.

———

By the time Aegon packs up to leave for Aemond, the rain had stopped. The clouds clearing out as the light leaves the sky.

He lets the top down on his car. The cool air nips at his tip of his nose and cheeks. It burns in the best way. Aegon sits at the front of the building that he knows Aemond will be in. He sits patiently for minutes, but then curiosity and impatience take over.

Whenever he is on the campus, he can’t help but want to take it all in. Look at all the buildings he can. Explore as if he was child again. He always thought it would be him to follow in his mother’s footsteps coming here, instead it was Aemond. He tries not to let the scratching bitterness work its way up his throat whenever they go home. The way Alicent frets and gushes over Aemond holds a special place in brain.

Her sweet, talented boy

He still does not know if she says it in front of him on purpose or by accident.

The building was nothing like the firm. Warm wood opposed to the glass and shiny metal he was used to. It was easy to know where Aemond would be, most of the lights in rooms dimmed except for one at the end of the hall.

He follows the piano he can hear faintly. Even though they are brothers, Aegon often feels like he is encroaching on something deeply personal when he hears Aemond play. Like he was hearing a part of Aemond he kept hidden from world. It made him peak in the room versus walking straight in.

He sees Aemond, eyes closed, playing a melody he does not recognize. It’s beautiful. But that is nothing out of the ordinary for Aemond.

Before he can finally make his presences known, a pair of legs obstruct his view. A graceful turn, followed by an acrobatic leap. All Aegon can is stare in slight awe, but he can’t help his mind from drifting to his mother. It reminds him of the black and white photos of her hanging in the foyer of their family home. Or the old videos of she used to show them when they were little.

He doesn’t know what he misses more - being that young or when Alicent wanted to share those things with them.

Before Aegon can finally walk in, the dancer stops abruptly turning to Aemond.

“Hmmmm,” she hums lowly. “I’m just not feeling it.”

Aemond lets out a guttural groan in response. He stands from the piano, roughly closing the top.

“You have not ‘felt’ the last two things I have composed.”

The dancer shrugs, not fazed by Aemond’s temperament. “Nothing has inspired me yet.”

He mumbled something under his breath, and Aegon watches as a head full of hair pulled pack in a ponytail snap back to his brother.

“What was that?”

Aegon knows that tone well. Him and Helaena would use it often when Aemond did that. They both hated when he would mumble under his breath. It always led to arguments that Alicent would have to break up. Aemond starts to gather the music sheets on the piano.

“Could be your tired routine that has everything feeling uninspired,” Aemond says louder.

“Oh please,” there is something so oddly familiar about the voice as it rings out. The insults don’t match the clear and sprite like nature of it. “If anything is tired, it is the cheap Rachmaninoff imitations you keep composing.”

“Gods, you’re such a….”

“Awe, what am I Aemond,” she doesn’t miss a beat. “tell me, so then I can tell you what you are. Because trust me if you think calling me a bitch is going to hurt my feelings, you should hear what people say about you.”

It makes Aemond falter. Aegon knows that deposited the tough face his brother puts on; he gets bogged down with what others think and expect of him. Aegon decides that maybe he should step in now.

“I think you both looked and sounded great,” he winced as soon as the words came out. His voice loudly ranges through the studio. Not entirely the smooth entrance it should have been. Aemond’s eyes shoot to Aegon; he seems to be getting that angry look from all his siblings lately.

Aegon freezes when his gaze meets big eyes staring at him incredulously. He recognizes the gentle slope of her nose, and the softness of her pretty face.

“Oh, fuck me.”

Aegon has a special talent for being foolishly. A knack for being numbingly unintelligent when it comes to feelings. At least that is what Daeron tells him.

“For someone so bright in other ways, you can be real stupid.”

But managing to include himself in the mess that is Aemond’s university life must be a new kind of low. This must be the Gods punishing him. The false promises he dishes out to women coming to finally bite him in the ass.

Her eyes go from Aegon to Aemond, then back to Aegon before she left out a chuckle of disbelief. “My life must be joke.”

Aegon opens his mouth to say something, but then realizes his mouth is the thing that got in him into this mess in the first place. His mouth on yours, his mouth on you, and his mouth’s ability to say sweet nothings at the drop of a hat. So all he can do is watch as you angrily put on your coat and tear off your dance shoes. While putting on your boots you turn to Aemond.

“Figure your shit out before reaching out to me again,” you hiss at him.

You don’t even spare Aegon another glance as you storm out. Leaving him with just the quick whiff of your sweet perfume.

The two brothers stand there in silence for a moment before Aemond finally speaks.

“I thought I told you to stay in the car?”

The drive to the Thai place was filled with Aemond cutting Aegon off by turning the radio louder and louder. He asks for what happened but seemingly shut down when the implication of what happened became clear.

“So, you fucked my project partner,” he mutters bitterly. “And then completely ghosted her after you promised you wouldn’t. On top lying about your last name.”

Aegon shakes his head, mouth full of tom kha khai. When he says it like that it sounds so awful.

“We did not have sex,” Aegon repeats. Then his shoulders slump. “But yes… we might have done… other stuff and I may have… not called when I said I would.”

Aemond scoffs, picking at his half-eaten curry. The brother bonding not going how Aegon wanted it to.

“I can apologize. I can send flowers.”

“No, absolutely not.” Aemond blanches. “You need to leave her alone. We are already not on the same page, the last thing I need is more issues with her.”

He did have a nice night with you. One of the better ones he can remember. It could why he was so apprehensive to reach out. It was just Aegon’s luck. He manages to fuck things up even when he says he won’t get attached and involved.

“Well, I guess I feel a little bit less bad about what I was going to tell you,” Aemond says, then clears his throat. “Criston asked about you again when we talked.”

Aegon says nothing in return. This dinner was a mistake. He had already had a bad day at work; everything has down spiraled from there.

“I invited him to my recital in a couple of weeks. I just thought I should give you heads-up if you decide to come.”

Aegon shrugs. “It is your recital; you can invite whoever you want.”

“Funny, mother said the same thing,” Aemond smiled, it not reaching his eyes. “I don’t get why you guys must take your feelings out on him. He was nothing but kind to us. Especially to you, he taught you everything you knew about drumming. He didn’t make you go ha-“

“I don’t want to talk about this anymore,” Aegon snaps.

What he really wants is a cold pint or a glass of wine, but he knows the look Aemond will give him if he orders one. Before a head-splitting headache comes on, Aegon asks for the check.

He wants to forget about the dinner. To forget about all the feelings that get stuck is him brain and keep him from functioning the way he wants to. Some nights he dreams about his siblings all being together, their father a distant memory. Other nights, he has nightmares of Alicent’s face contorted in pain and tears. Scared and disappointed.

But tonight, brought something different. Visions of soft lips, and a warm laugh flood his mind. Everything syrupy, and hazy in the best way. Not even Aemond’s words could break the succession of them.

Stay away from her

Aegon has always had trouble doing what he supposed to

#aegon ii angst #aegon ii x reader #aegon ii targaryen #aegon the elder #hotd imagine #hotd angst #hotd fanfic #aegon ii fanfic #aegon ii x oc #aegon x reader #black!reader #black!oc #modern hotd au #modern hotd #aegon x you #house of the dragon #hotd

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aserene · 11 months ago

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Aserene's Master Fic List

Last updated 1 September 2024; the newest works are in red. Anything posted on AO3 or FF can be found in this list, fragments and WIPs will be listed at the bottom of each section. My AO3 works are largely locked to registered users only due to AI scraping. If you need an account, please feel free to hit me up for an invite code while I have them to spare.

Fate: the Winx Saga

Why "Did it break your skin" or "Hello Bloom" has such an impact is a question I can't answer. Sorry, Not Sorry.

Regin of Dragon Series

The Smoking Incident (Silrah, pre-canon, Keggar Explanation)

Are you my fairy Godmother? (Silrah, Ficlets, Bloom & Farah Prequel to main story)

The Heir of Dragons (WIP, Silrah, HOTD cross over, Farah meets Rhaenys, Bloom & Farah found family)

Sparrow, Spider this is how it had to be

Sparrow, Sparrow on the hill (Silrah, Farah-centric time travel fix it)

Spider, spider in the tree - Tell me how it ends (Silrah, Saul-Centric time travel fix it)

Echantix and More

Snow (Silrah, Bloom & Farah bonding)

Across the Sea, Soar Above (Silrah, Make Mermaids cross over)

Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust (Silrah, Winx power swap)

Downpour (Silrah, Power Reveal, Bloom & Farah Bonding)

Lighting (Silrah, Skloom, Protective Farah & Saul)

Farah and the Caturday

Tell Tail Heart (Silrah, transformation accidents)

Let me tell you a tail (Silrah, Bloom & Farah, transformation accidents, Bloom’s in trouble)

Other Works

State of Mind (Farah has trouble with her powers)

Down an unknown road to embrace my fate (Meet the family, Silrah, lost child, Selkie)

Made You Look (Silrah, fluffy)

All the Stars in Your Hair (Silrah hair braiding, slight Star Wars cross)

A Solo Guardian (Silrah, Farah & Bloom bonding, Direwolf)

A road so rough, this I know (Road trips, Silrah, Episode tag)

Prompt Fills:

HEX Gifts

tis the damn season (meet the family/kind of, snowball fights)

And the sky is a hazy shade of winter (Winter whump, snowball fights)

soft snow falling in a winter serenade (winter party disaster)

Reverse Big Bang

Ferns are what it must mean to love without yearning (Farah the Fern)

WIPS:

The Geas of It (Silrah, Skloom, accidents, Like father–like son)

The Best Days (AU Fix it, Rosalind picked the wrong parents, Silrah & Bloom)

Exile (High Court Fae take an interest in Bloom)

The Heiress (Winx reflections on how they got their magic)

Farah the Cat (WIP for Farah and the Caturday)

Pawlp Fiction (WIP for Farah and the Caturday)

Car Crash (Silrah, baby bloom)

Saul asks Luna for a favor (silrah, Luna, protective Saul)

NCIS

Let me save you the trouble. They’re all jibbs.

Long Live the Queen.

Ex Files Take Two (episode re write)

A Christmas Fairy-Tale (Episode tag, team as family)

I’ve Read all the books beside your bed (domestic fluff, secret relationship)

Bella Noche (vampires)

One in a Billion (Halloween)

I talked to your dad, It’s a love story, just say “yes” (meet the family, Judgement Day fix it)

Coffeeshop Chatter (Batman won’t like this prompt, Jenny overhears the wrong thing)

In absentia lucis, Tenebrae vincunt, Coram amore lux valet (accidental love confessions)

The Director’s Fool (April fool’s prank)

The Cure for Hangovers and Other Aliments (Gibbs to the rescue)

Noli timere malum, sed time heroa (Jibbslet, Kidnapping, Angst with happy ending)

Truth in the Lies (fake marriage)

Ask Her (tag to Knockout)

Say Goodbye 007 (Mentions of JAG, fluff)

The Twelve Days of Christmas (Christmas fluff)

Twist of the Mind (WIP, Secret Relationship, memory alteration)

Off the Clock (Girl talk)

He Knocked (Episode tag)

Haunting (Halloween Fluff)

Muscle Spasm (Gibbs whump, Jenny gives TLC)

Paris Rose (fluff & crack, lipstick)

Only With You (undercover as married)

The Missing High Heels (Slight sequel to Only with you)

Jen, Jenny, and the Director (fuff & angst, crack treated seriously)

The Manual (Gibbs’ Rules, Fluff, Team Dynamics)

History Lessons (Fluffy collection of ficlets)

Carols in the Night Series

Carols in the Night (Holiday Found Family)

February Ills (Fluffbruary Sequel to Carols in the Night)

The Easter Bunny (Easter theme)

Mother's First (Mother's day)

He didn't have to (Father's day)

Judgement Day Rewritten Series

Second Chances (Gibbs wakes up in a world where Jenny isn’t dead, yet)

From Now On (Jenny gets a second chance and learns what honesty can change)

The Reality of Acceptance (Gibbs follows Jenny to LA)

Expressing the Inexpressible Series

That’s not her style (Tabloids report on Jenny)

Goodbye Earl (Gibbs finds an interesting person in the middle of an investigation)

Home (letters, fluff and angst)

Our Song (tooth-rotting fluff)

Do you Remember? (orchids, hidden relationship)

24 (WIP)

It’s beginning to get to me (WIP)

Anything you can do (WIP)

A little fall of rain (WIP)

Something in Red (WIP)

So Close (WIP)

Ever, Ever, After (WIP)

She’s in Love (WIP)

That’s How You Know (WIP)

One Step Closer (WIP)

WIP

Watering Your Plants (Post Hiatus)

The Deal (deal to have a baby)

Now I lay me down to sleep (secret relationship)

Xena: Warrior Princess

So you’re saying there is a chance…

All Fics are Xena/Ares

Eventually, these will be rewritten and posted on AO3

As Long as You’re Mine (post Looking Death in the Eyes)

Reckoning the Thoughts (takes place during “The Reckoning)

The Pendant (Aphrodite fixes Looking Death in the Eye)

WIP

Wrapped Around Your Finger (Post Xena coming back from Callisto)

Black Roses Red (Hercules bashing)

An Affair to Remember (Looking Death in the Eyes Fix It)

House of the Dragon

WIP

Rhaenys Intervenes (Time Travel Fix-it)

Daemon and Rhaenys work together to save the House of the Dragon (Time Travel Fix-it)

Go All the Way Back (Rhaenyra and Rhaenys Time Travel)

Rhaenys Overhears (Rhaenys will make sure she is the only one with the title of the Queen Who Never Was)

Cross Overs

Call my name and save me from the dark (Fate, Wednesday, NCIS, I have issues okay?)

Wishes come True, Not Free (Fate/Labyrinth)

A Demon and A Fairy Sat Drinking (Fate/Chilling Adventures of Sabrina)

Grave Digger Redux (Bones/NCIS)

My Perfect Romance (NCIS/My Perfect Romance)

Captain Bennett’s Christmas Catch (Christmas Catch/NCIS)

The Man with the Blue Eyes (NCIS/ CSI Miami)

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lullaebies · 1 year ago

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do you have any modern helaena headcanons?

Disclaimer: I'm not a very modern AU type of person - one of the reasons I lean into HOTD and ASOIAF is because I find the setting and rules in place intriguing, but I certainly like reading modern interpertations! I would also like to rec @fatherforgivethem for some cute modern hcs, I really warmed up to theirs! Modern Helaena Headcanons ✧ Helaena is a wildlife girl! She likes animals of all types since she was little, catching frogs and observing fireflies in the lake at the backyard of their vacation home (they definitely have a vacation home, rich ppl). She and her brothers fight about the TV because she wants to keep watching National Geographic, lol. She once rescued a bluish grey little lizard she found hurt on the street, and it remained with her after it healed. (of course, it's Dreamfyre). ✧ She's a knitter and from the moment she learns how to knit that is all anyone gets out of her as presents. She makes the ugly sweaters for Christmas, or gloves, or whatever she feels at the moment. She made Aegon and Aemond a get along sweater once, which Daeron shoved himself into as well. Obviously, she had to be added to the fray. They ruined that one on the day they got it. ✧ She wants to be a primary school teacher. She finds that her shyness dissipates besides younger children, and with all the troubles and shenanigans her extended family has been through she learned how to treat with children easy. ✧ When she's old enough to work as a teacher, she gets charge of a music therapy program in her school. She sometimes brings [forces] Aegon into the fray by making him play the guitar. She's well regarded for it, it helped quite a few kiddos. ✧ The type of person that never answers calls. It takes her two hours to realize someone called her at all. Alicent had more than a few heart attacks about it - Aemond and Aegon had drove around looking for her as well a few times. At the end they'll find her in some vintage shop absorbed in some book or looking at ceramics she wanted to bring back home to one of them or mother. They can't even get angry, it's seriously upsetting and wholesome at the same time. ✧ Plant mom! she grows plenty of flowers in her room, and they decorate the vivarium Dreamfyre is kept in from inside and out. She managed to get some plants to all the rooms in the house. ✧ She doesn't know how to cook at all - she burns pasta, bless her soul. She relies on Aegon for like college-like five minute food, Aemond for actual meals, and Daeron is just a baby that shares snacks with her. Alicent had made way with her in baking, however - though the cakes are always not quite well leveled and bit off in their icing isn't perfect, everyone eats it without complaing [if you complain you may get into a fistfight with one of the brothers lmao].

#helaena targaryen #hotd #house of the dragon #my headcanons #answered

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writingsofwesteros · 2 years ago

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I had a thought pal hear me out!!!!! For the Hightower between the waves au!!, we never know who Alicent's mother is, Otto's wife is unknown and dies before anything major happens in hotd. What if she was a supposedly highborn lady from Volantis, thus having the valerian looks, Otto and everyone thought nothing of it, all of their children took after the hightower looks from Otto anyway, but what if she was an unknown daughter of the disgraced, self-exiled Princess Saera Targaryen, one of Jaehaerys' other children. That would make Alicent her granddaughter, thus technically a drsgonseed, add that fact with Corlys also having some amount of Targaryen blood via centuries of their houses intermarrying, that is the reason their 4 kids were able to claim dragons........ but what if a wild dragon like the cannibal or another one could tell that she was a dragonseed and acted differently with Alicent one day, almost testing if she's going to claim him. Ali doesn't know wtf to do and is scared as all hell and both Corlys and Rhaenys are just there like w h a t 🫢😲 then the court has to figure out how the fuck Alicent Hightower claimed a dragon, and Viserys is foaming at the mouth and his wife and kids are trying to get her in trouble for 'stealing' a dragon. Then maesters and septas go through records and put two and two together and figure out who Otto's wife was, and who her mother was, and boom. Now Otto is FUMING because he was already pissed that his plans to force her into Viserys went sideways when Corlys and Rhaenys pulled a Daemon and Rhaenyra and had a secret wedding with her. Now, he realizes he could have had plans with any of his kids gaining power all this time. Corlys and Rhaenys would be so much more pleased and possessive with Alicent after that because whhhooooooo boy. Now they're really glad they kept her from Viserys. Rhaenys takes full advantage of now having to train her young wife in the arts of dragonriding and learning Valyrian, and Corlys now has TWO dragonrider wives and never lets anybody forget it. Rhaenys and Corlys practically jump her bones the first time they hear her speak fluent Valyrian with her dragon. She definitely gets ravished that night.

!!!

I AM IN AWE !!

We so need more on Alicent's mother, it's unreal !

Can you imagine cannibal ...what about that shy dragon to match Alicent but either way i adore it !

Corlys is full of pride; you know that's his sin.

#au #hightower between the waves

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bilbotargaryen · 12 days ago

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Fanfic writer interview

Thank you so, so much for the tags @errruvande and @lord-aldhelm I LOVE YOU for all the tag games ngl you rock <33

I'll have some trouble answering some of those but lets get to it, shall we? :D

My AO3

1. How many works do u have on AO3?

I have 6! And I hope there'll be a lot more soon xD I regret all the time I've wasted over the past years where I could've written more but I'll try not to linger too much on that (Keyword is try lol)

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

75,546

3. Your top 5 stories by kudos/likes

1. Fire Made Flesh (39) 2. The Family Dinner (27) 3. Starbucks - A College Experience (18) 4. The Widows Bite Back (11) 5. What could and never should have been (7)

4. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I do! I am super bad at interactions so I am always anxious if I responded well but I do respond to every comment. Sometimes answers take some time if I have to process something for longer though. I love to hear from my readers and I love talking about my works and I believe if something has taken the time and effort to write something about them it's only fair to respond :)

5. What's the fic you've written with the angstiest ending?

Since I (so far) only have two finished fics (not counting the OS Collections), I'd say The Widows Bite Back. (Wanted to put a Question Mark there but no it's pretty angsty I'd say xD)

6. What's the fic you've written with the happiest ending?

BAHAHAHA. Okay. That's a harder one. Again, don't really have a any finished fics going into that direction. I believe I can give you a less angsty than the angstiest one so....The Family Dinner? lmao I need to write a happy Fluff fic (Mayhap about Hvigon *snickers and runs away*)

7. Do you write crossovers?

I. ADORE. CROSSOVERS. I have too many. My current obsession is Vikings x HotD. But I am also EXTREMELY interested in Vikings x TLK because I want AND NEED to see TLK!Alfred absolutely DEMOLISH the Ragnarssons. (Search your heart, you know it to be true) I have so many lying around. My HUMONGOUS AU is a Multi-Crossover of MCU x SPN x Good Omens x Norse Mythology x Tokyo Ghoul. BIGGEST Monster in the room with us ngl. Otherwise, the Starbucks Fic is a MCU x SPN x The Boys Crossover, then I had thoughts on a SPN x Witcher Crossover, and loads more, but I'll stop here... xD (it already got out of hand, but I'll stop here)

8. Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Not yet. But I am scared. (But I am always scared so yeah)

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I have started writing smut rather recently and am still very new to it, but hope I can finally strangle my inner priest (sry father). I so far only did Slash smut. I am sry if the joke is offensive, I cope with bad humour.

10. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I am aware of. (Shamelessly copying that answer)

11. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Not that I am aware of. (Shamelessly copying that answer, again)

12. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I did have a Whatsapp group for fic writing with a friend but we've never published it nor have we finished it. It was very, very on crack. It was an MCU x The Dome fic where the Villain was a German fitness coach who is kind of a meme in our country...let's say we had a great time xDD

13. What's your all-time favorite ship?

I have several. Most of them are made up by me. I am so unrelatable. BUT I therefore decided to give you two: One of mine own creations: Hvigon (Hvitserk x Aegon) (I really cannot not put it here, you'd know I'd be lying) One of the 'normal' ones: Stucky (Steve x Bucky) (I am a sucker for tragic gay couples what can I say) Fuck I have so many and cannot decide MOVING ON

14. What's a WIP that you want to finish but don't think you ever will?

My AU is so huge and I am afraid to even post the first part I've finished already so...yeah...chances are I just finish the Timeline and the Database and the Lorebook and post those as my legacy before I ever post OR EVEN FINISH that one ksksksks

15. What are your writing strengths?

I don't really feel I can be the judge of that, honestly, I'd let my readers be the judge of that. But since it's asked, I feel like I am good at writing dialogue. Snappy exchanges, double meanings, innuendos (occasionally, not always). But, yeah, I don't really know about that for sure.

16. What are your writing weaknesses?

Descriptions. When I write I practically have the scene playing in my head and see everything and focus only on whatever the focus actually is and later realize I have not lost one word about the place or about the characters' appearance xD

17. What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

I LOVE IT. When it makes sense. It's hard to make it make sense. I learn languages in my free time and at college and with foreign languages it is more usual to just understand gibberish if one doesn't speak them and if a character speaks in a different language they know they'd naturally understand it themselves so...yeah, I have a huge problem with keeping things realistic xD But I actually love it when it's done - and maybe I should loose some of my thoughts about it lol

18. What's a fandom/ship you haven't written for yet but want to?

For Fandoms - The Last Kingdom. I don't know why but I don't feel like I know the characters well enough to do so just yet... LotR - I have talked to @errruvande about one of my ideas and I really would like to write that ngl Vikings - I mean I am kinda writing for that one BUT (hear me out): A non-crossover fic (yeah, I know, completely unheard of). I have a few ideas (among them a complete rewrite starting from Season 4b) but I am trying to concentrate on my active projects rn xD And for ships - I have a lot of them I'd love to write fics for. Again, most of them from my own creation (Deaniel (Dean Winchester x Daniel (OC)), Starlight (Peter Quill x Balder), (Loki x Caterína), just to list a few). For 'normal' ships I feel like I want to put Bagginshield here...I don't know why. It's something in my stomach that makes me want to do so...maybe it's nostalgia...idk. There are safe others too but I cannot think of any rn

19. What's your favorite fic you've written?

I really like Fire Made Flesh. Although it's not exactly the Hvigon Fic I had in mind it has become it's very own thing, surprised me on several occasions and already gave me lots of opportunities and challenges to improve my writing and plotting skills! Let's see if that holds up until the end xD

Once more, thank you SO MUCH for the tag <33

Whoever sees this and wants to join in pls do <3

#tag game #ao3 #fanfic

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sansaorgana · 4 months ago

Text

— BROKEN OATH

SISTER'S CHOICE (AU)

PAIRING — Ser Gwayne Hightower x fem!Reader // Princess Elaena Targaryen (OC)

SUMMARY — Due to Otto Hightower's scheming, you were sent to marry his eldest son after turning seventeen years old. Fifteen years and four children later, you are torn between the side of your sister Rhaenyra and the side of your husband's family during the conflict.

AUTHOR’S NOTE — It’s written from the Reader’s perspective but she is a Targaryen and Rhaenyra's younger sister. I did not describe any of her body or face features except for that she has silver hair, lilac eyes and her name is Elaena. I have so many requests to work on that are not even related to this fandom and, honestly, I have promised myself to not write again for GoT/HoTD but... The brainrot is real! 😏 I went with the show's timeline where Gwayne is around 40 atm (according to wiki) but I made Lucerys a year older (I think) because I needed it for the plot. Reader/OC is three years younger than Rhaenyra and ten years younger than Gwayne.

WORD COUNT — 6,080

ENGLISH IS MY SECOND LANGUAGE.

BROKEN OATH

Being Princess Rhaenyra’s younger sister, you grew up being jealous of her. She was your father’s first daughter and beloved child whom he announced his heir – you were just a second daughter, another failure. Just the next “it’s a girl, my King” disappointment. The first one was bearable but the second… The second was less likeable. You got used to being treated like air by your father most of the time.

You wished to be more like Rhaenyra. Brave, talking back, stubborn, always getting her way. You were not like that – you were unproblematic most of the time, never causing trouble. Another reason why it was so easy for your father to treat you like hadn’t even been born.

Even Uncle Daemon treated you like you were less – you adored him. Not the same way Rhaenyra did but you adored the stories of his adventures and his attention. However, he was never interested in you. He would give you a gift or two from his travels, sometimes sit you on his lap and bounce you on his knee when you were a child. But his love and devotion was for your older sister only.

Rhaenyra herself was nothing but kind to you. You were her younger sister and she knew you were looking up to her. She wanted you to be included whenever she was spending time with her friend Alicent or she was challenging you to the dragon races. But even her dragon was bigger – Syrax was huge and formidable, with beautiful yellow scales. Your dragon was smaller and thinner – you loved your beautiful Onyx with her shiny, black scales and her smaller size was making her more agile than any other dragon. But still… It was rare for you to ever win the dragon race with Rhaenyra. And the times you won, were the times she was simply allowing you to.

“Onyx is still growing,” she kept reminding you. It was true, Onyx was still a young dragon like you were a young Princess; still a child.

You loved Rhaneyra with all your heart but being around her was sometimes making you feel insecure. She was everything you were not but wanted to be. The only person who made you feel completely comfortable and unconditionally loved was your mother. You would spend whole days together, embroidering and sharing stories. She was telling you beautiful tales and you were telling her about the things you had read in the books.

Her death had the biggest impact on you. Everyone could see that you became more quiet, hiding alone in your chambers or taking long rides on Onyx. In the meantime, you grew to resent your father. Not only you blamed him for your mother’s death but also you found it disgusting how quickly he wanted to remarry. His choices were… Questionable. Despite your age, you were observant and not as naive as some would say. You knew that your father’s Lord Hand Otto Hightower was behind most of these decisions. And, eventually, he managed to marry his daughter to the King. Your father.

You didn’t like the idea of someone as young as Alicent to be your new stepmother but she was not your friend in the same way as she was to Rhaenyra, so you did not feel betrayed in the same way as your sister.

At this point, you felt isolated from most of your family anyway. The business between Daemon and Rhaenyra, your father being the reason for your mother’s death and then marrying a young girl so quickly… You stopped caring at some point; it was easier to dissociate. Perhaps this coping mechanism made you less vigilant or perhaps there was nothing you could do to prevent it anyway, but Otto Hightower’s ambitious plans did not end with making Alicent the new Queen, no – far from that.

He was insatiable. Right after Rhaenyra’s wedding to Ser Laenor Velaryon, you were asked to go to your father’s chambers. He was waiting there for you with Otto Hightower himself and you already knew it was something about your future when you saw them two together waiting for you.

You bowed your head and stood there, waiting for your father to speak first.

“Rhaenyra is married now, Elaena,” he told you as if you hadn’t known. You were still wearing your dress for the occasion. “You are next, my dear daughter. And in three years you will be seventeen, which is a perfect age to marry,” he added.

“Yes, father,” you nodded again and looked down, feeling Otto Hightower’s piercing gaze on you.

“We have found you a match,” your father beckoned you over to approach him, so you did. And you allowed him to take your hands into his, still keeping your gaze down.

“Who is it?” You swallowed a lump in your throat.

You were sure it would be one of those men Rhaneyra had dismissed before. You were used to getting leftovers after her, crumbs off of her table. However, perhaps the marriage itself would be for the better – you needed to leave The Red Keep and start a new life somewhere else, to build a new life for yourself. You only hoped for a good husband.

Would it be Lord Stark? Lord Lannister? Your head was full of possibilities.

“In three years, you’re going to leave us to marry Ser Gwayne Hightower, Lord Hand’s son,” your father said and you dared to look up at him with a surprised look on your face.

“A Hightower, father?” You asked and both him and Otto furrowed their brows. They were not used to you talking back. “Do not misinterpret my question, Lord Hand,” you looked at Otto with a slight nod, “I simply wonder why would a Royal Princess be given to a member of a house with whom we already have a strong alliance instead of creating a new and powerful union. We already have a lot in common with The Hightowers – an unbreakable bond made with blood. Your children with Queen Alicent,” you reminded your father.

Short silence occurred and you swallowed a lump in your throat. Your father let go of your hands and looked you up and down.

“There is no such a thing as a strong alliance, my child. Never strong enough, you must remember that. Alliances are fragile things and they should be made stronger whenever such an opportunity occurs,” he informed you and you nodded. There was no point in arguing when he was so full of Otto Hightower’s poison already, believing everything his Lord Hand was whispering into his ear.

“My son is young and I’m sure you will find him a good husband, Princess Elaena,” Otto Hightower looked at you, examining your face carefully. You didn’t want to show too many emotions because you knew they would be used against you.

“Of that I am sure, my Lord,” you nodded at him as the edges of your lips curved in a nervous smile. “Young, you say. How much older than me then, exactly?” You asked.

“Ten years your senior,” your father answered and you hummed to yourself. “He is my wife’s eldest brother and he will inherit the title of the Lord of Oldtown,” he added and you nodded once more.

“I understand,” was all you said.

“You shall go now,” your father dismissed you and you bowed down before walking away with a heavy heart.

So, you were sold. Soon – in three years – your father wouldn’t have to look at you every day anymore. You would be gotten rid of.

You were standing by Onyx. You swore, she had gotten a little bigger those past few years but perhaps it was your eyesight fooling you. You caressed her head and leaned into her as she purred as if she was a kitten.

“Sister,” you heard Rhaenyra’s voice behind you and you turned around with a smile. She approached you and fixed your silver hair in a loving manner, reminding you of your late mother.

Now, when she was a mother herself, you kept seeing your mother in her and your heart was clenching inside your chest each time. You still missed her – every day.

“Look at you, all grown up,” Rhaenyra whispered. “Can’t believe it’s time for my little sister to get married as well.”

“There is time for everyone,” you nodded. “This is how women serve their families.”

Rhaenyra rolled her eyes at that remark. She had never liked those lessons your mother had been giving you both.

“Come, take a walk with me before your departure,” she proposed and you nodded, taking a look at Onyx. You patted her neck and walked away with your sister to take one last walk around The Red Keep’s gardens before flying to Oldtown where your personal belongings had been shipped a week earlier already.

Your wedding to Ser Gwayne Hightower was supposed to take place on the next day. Your father’s health had gotten worse recently and he would not make it there. Neither would Rhaenyra who would give birth to her second child any given day now. You were supposed to face the challenge of marriage alone.

“Be careful in Oldtown, dear sister, I mean it. The Hightowers are like spiders, weaving their webs all around us,” Rhaenyra sighed as she took you by your arm. “I deeply regret that I could not have prevented your wedding to Ser Gwayne.”

“It is quite alright,” you nodded at her. “I have accepted my fate already,” you told her.

“I wish I was more like you,” Rhaenyra confessed and you widened your eyes at her.

“Rhaenyra!” You chuckled. “I’ve always thought the same of you.”

“Nonsense,” Rhaenyra shook her head. “I wish I was less rebellious, less stubborn. I wish I could just accept my fate like you or our beloved mother,” Rhaenyra caressed your cheek with her fingertips. “It would save me a lot of trouble.”

You chucked at that. You knew exactly what she meant.

“Will your second child come out with raven dark hair and pale white skin, too, dear sister?” You asked and she sighed with an eye-roll. “Mhm, that’s what I thought,” you chuckled.

Not that you approved of her risky behaviour or her ways. But she was your sister despite everything – she was your blood and the only person you still had in The Red Keep who would always be by your side. She had taken your mother’s place in your life recently and for that you were grateful.

“I’m going to miss you,” you confessed. “I’m going to miss Jacaerys, Aegon and Helaena, too…” You told her and she smiled at you sweetly.

“You like the little ones, Elaena,” she pointed out. “Soon, you will have your own,” she added and you felt your cheeks heating up at her comment as you looked away. “You can always write to me, my darling. And I will always come to rescue you. I am sure you have already noticed I care very little about what people say about me. So, if your husband ever hurts you, I am going to arrive on Syrax and save you,” Rhaenyra’s voice was playful but you knew she meant her words truthfully and genuinely.

“I will write to you,” you promised her. “And you will write to me, yes? And we will visit each other as much as we can,” you squeezed her arm with your hand and she nodded before stopping her walk and so did you.

Your sister turned her body towards you and leaned in to press her forehead to yours.

“Whatever happens, remember that you are a Targaryen,” she whispered to you in High Valyrian.

“My loyalty is with you, my Queen,” you replied in the same language.

You dismounted Onyx in the middle of a square in Oldtown that had been prepared for your arrival. Onyx’s small size was sometimes an advantage because she could easily fit in there and The Hightowers didn’t need to make many preparations for her new lair either. You patted her neck and heard a few gasps from the people watching from their windows.

“Princess Elaena,” a male voice greeted you and you turned around to see the brave man who dared to walk up closer to you despite Onyx standing right beside you. “Welcome home, Princess. It is an honour to have you and your dragon here,” he nodded at Onyx with respect. “Oldtown has never had a dragon to protect it.”

You immediately recognised he was your betrothed. You could see Queen Alicent in him – just like her he had auburn hair and just like her he was easy on the eye. You smiled to yourself a little since he was much better than you had been imagining. Visually, at least.

“Onyx is not here to protect Oldtown,” you remarked. “She is here to protect me.”

“There is nothing here that you would need protection from, my Princess,” Ser Gwayne dared to take a few more steps ahead to place a kiss upon the palm of your hand.

“Ser Gwayne,” you nodded at him with a smile. “It is a pleasure to finally meet you.”

“Forgive me, Princess. I have been planning to show up during one of the tournaments in King’s Landing but my duties here are many. I am managing this place in the name of my father since his presence is required by the side of your father, The King,” he informed you and you nodded at him. “We have prepared a place for your dragon. It’s by the hills nearby.”

“Sounds perfect for Onyx,” you looked at her with a soft smile and she purred. “Have my belongings arrived safely?”

“They have, my Princess,” Ser Gwayne nodded at you and offered you his arm. “Shall we take a walk to The Hightower? I figured out it would be for the better to take a walk there and show you the city instead of taking the carriage. My people are curious about you.”

“Yes, you figured it out right,” you agreed and took him by the arm.

You walked slowly, talking about some silly things without any importance. The streets were nearly empty – there were only a few guards following you. But you could spot hundreds of faces watching you from their windows as you walked through the city. Some of them were throwing flowers at your feet to greet you.

“That’s Princess Elaena Targaryen,” they were whispering in awe and you tried to wave and smile at them as Ser Gwayne kept looking at your face with a hint of affection that you had not been expecting from him at all.

In a way, it felt like a fairytale. One of the stories your mother had been telling you about. Walking down the empty pebble street with flowers and blessings being thrown at you, with a handsome knight by your side who would soon become your husband and your beloved dragon flying overhead. And ahead of you there it stood proudly – The Hightower. Your new home.

“It’s better than what I’ve imagined,” you admitted to Ser Gwayne and he smiled widely at you, thinking that you only meant the building but you did not. You meant everything.

Despite the promises made to your sister, you hadn’t seen her since your departure to Oldtown. You were regularly sending ravens to each other with long and detailed letters about your lives, though. Mostly, you were discussing the ups and downs of motherhood.

You could not attend the funeral of Laena Velaryon because you had just given birth to your first daughter. And you could not attend your father’s family reunion dinner nor funeral because of your own duties in Oldtown. In fact, you hadn’t left that city even once since your wedding to Ser Gwayne Hightower.

Your marriage was peaceful and quite successful. You had given him four children so far those past fifteen years. Fifteen years. You were in your early thirties and married for nearly half of your life already. Steffon Hightower was your eldest son – twelve years old now, a future knight with silver hair and lilac eyes. The Targaryen genes were strong in him and you were sure he would ride a dragon one day as well – one way or another. He was determined to do so and he had a strong bond with Onyx as well.

Your genes were not as strong with the rest of the children – nine years old Loras Hightower had auburn hair and blue eyes and he was an exact copy of his father as if you had nothing to do with his arrival to this world. Six years old Lysa Hightower had her father’s auburn hair but the lilac Targaryen eyes and the youngest three years old Roslin Hightower was blessed with silver hair but her eyes were as blue as her father’s.

Four children, fifteen years. Fifteen years in Oldtown by Ser Gwayne Hightower's side. But your children were not the only thing you shared together. You were living in the same chambers and discussing the same problems over and over, laughing about and frowning upon the same subjects. You were cheering for him during the tournaments and watching him train – especially when he was teaching your sons how to use the sword. You had the same list of people you did not like and often gossiped about and you even started to like the same food as time progressed.

You were not sure if it was love – it surely was not that passionate thing your sister seemed to have with Uncle Daemon. But it was certainly much happier and much better than what most people around you had. You didn’t resent your husband and you enjoyed his company. When you had been a young girl, that was all you had been praying for.

The news about your father’s death saddened you but not greatly. You hadn’t seen him all these years and only exchanged a few letters with him since your wedding. He had gotten rid of you all those years ago and that was it. You had accepted it and moved on, focusing on your children and your duties.

You were excited about Rhaenyra inheriting the throne, though. You hoped to finally see your sister and be able to hug her, hear her voice after so many years. The raven about Aegon’s sudden coronation was like a slap in your face.

The next raven was from your sister where she explained the events from her point of view – how The Hightowers had snatched the crown from her, how Queen Alicent had lied about your father’s last words. How the war was coming most likely… It was not easy to read those words.

You bore the Hightower surname now and your children had it, too. Your husband was a knight and you did not want him to go to war. And, most importantly, he was the uncle to a self-proclaimed King Aegon – your half-brother. Yet, your sister asked for your support. She still remembered the words you had told her before leaving to Oldtown. You had called her your Queen and pledged your allegiance to her.

You also remembered that moment – and you remembered her words. To always remember that you, Princess Elaena, were a Targaryen. Not a Hightower.

You finished reading the letter from Rhaenyra and you stood up to approach the fireplace where you burnt it. You didn’t want your husband to read it later. Gwayne raised an eyebrow at you as he was sitting by his desk and reading the many letters from his father, most likely filled with schemes and secret plans.

“What is it?” He asked, spotting your nervousness.

“Nothing,” you shrugged it off and took a deep breath in as you watched the letter burning. “It was from Rhaenyra,” you told him.

“What did she say?” Gwayne looked up, visibly more interested now than before.

“Nothing of importance,” you admitted. “She whined about Aegon stealing her crown. I do not wish to read it,” you lied to him, already feeling guilty.

Fifteen years of marriage and you had never lied to him before. You never had to.

“She is your sister, she must want you to support her,” your husband pointed out and you smiled nervously.

“Yes, that is only natural for her to reach out to me,” you admitted and walked up to him. You placed your hands on his shoulders and sat on his lap before cupping his face.

You weren’t sure if you liked his face because it was his or because you could see its features in all your children, whom you loved more than anything. Either way, you liked his face. And he liked your touch, squinting his eyes a little at the softness of your fingertips caressing his cheeks.

“She is my sister but I am your wife. I shall do what my Lord Husband commands,” you reminded him – and perhaps yourself, too.

“I do not wish for you to engage in this conflict,” Gwayne told you and held your wrists softly. “It is not for you to worry about.”

“It is a conflict between my siblings. It is a conflict within the Targaryen family and I am a Targaryen with my own dragon,” you pointed out smugly.

“You are a Hightower now and we are your family,” Gwayne furrowed his brow as his tone became a little harsh and scolding. He would rarely use that on you.

“I know,” you caressed his hair soothingly. “Do not be cross with me, Gwayne, I was only teasing.”

“It is no time to tease, Princess. The war is coming,” he reminded you and you sighed, pressing his face to your chest and leaning your chin on the top of his head as you looked out of the window.

The war was coming indeed. You knew Rhaenyra like nobody else – her stubbornness would never make her give up the crown. Especially now when she was married to a man like Daemon. On the other side there was Aegon – he had been a four years old sweet boy last time you had seen him and you were sure he still had that sweetness in him. But his grandfather and your father-in-law had none. He would never give up and he was the greatest manipulator you had ever known.

“Can you stop the war from coming, my dear?” You asked in a whisper, naively, like a child would. “I do not want the war to come to Oldtown and take you away from me.”

But Gwayne did not answer and you wondered if it was because he just didn’t know what to say or because some part of him was excited about this war. After all, he was loyal to his father and his house.

It was around midnight and you closed the door to the nursery behind you. You had just finished checking on all your children to watch them sleep peacefully as you kissed their foreheads and whispered how much you loved them. You feared you would not see them in a long time after tonight – if ever.

But you couldn’t take them with you. Gwayne would chase you down and even kill you if he had to – you just knew that the children mattered to him more than you did. And you knew he would never let anything bad happen to them – neither would Otto or Alicent. They were safer in Oldtown than where you were heading to.

Dragonstone. It had taken you a few days to make this decision and all the preparations but your sister needed you – and she needed Onyx by her side. Your beautiful dragon had grown twice her size those past fifteen years and she was a gracious match to Syrax or Sunfyre now.

You didn’t leave Gwayne even a letter. You had tried to come up with words but there were none. You already felt guilty for what you were about to do but you also felt like there was no other choice. Rhaenyra was your sister – of the same mother and the same father, of the same Valyrian blood. She needed you and you belonged together. You couldn’t exactly explain why you felt this way and the decision to leave your life in Oldtown after fifteen years was not easy – it was without a doubt the most difficult one you had ever made.

You put the hood of your cloak on your head and nodded at your most loyal maid who was supposed to lead you out of The Hightower and to Onyx’s lair unnoticed. She beckoned you over and you followed her down the corridor and to the spiral staircase that the servants usually used.

Your route was leading through the kitchen that was empty and dark at this hour. You could barely see your maid’s figure in front of you as you carefully followed her steps.

The maid opened the door in front of you that was leading to the tunnel and you squinted your eyes at the brightness ahead of you. When you opened them again, your heart froze at the sight of your husband holding a torch.

You turned your head around to look at the maid and she swallowed thickly before looking down. She had betrayed you. Of course she had. The most loyal maid? Funny. She worked for The Hightowers, after all. How could she ever be loyal to you?

“Forgive me, Princess,” she stuttered out, nervously, as she fidgeted with her hands. “I had to tell Ser Gwayne. I was scared of losing my head if anyone found out I was the one to help you…” She whispered.

“Leave us, Meera,” Gwayne threw a few coins at her and she grabbed them and bowed down before running away, leaving you alone with him.

You were anxious and didn’t know what to expect. So, you decided to change the subject for now as you took a few steps back and sat by the kitchen table. There was no point of running from this conversation. Gwayne closed the door leading to the tunnel and locked the door anyway.

“Since when do you know the names of our servants?” You asked him and took the hood off of your head.

“Since they spy for me,” Gwayne used his torch to spread the fire amongst the torches on the walls, lighting up the kitchen. He took his time with it before finally sitting by the table next to you. “What has it come to, dear wife, that I have to spy on you after fifteen years of marriage?” He asked, calmly, but you could see the hurt and betrayal written all over his face. You knew him very well by now.

“My sister needs me, I–”

“And your children don’t?” Gwayne interrupted you harshly, his gaze intense. You shut your mouth immediately, not knowing what to say to that. “And I don’t?” He added as his voice broke a little.

You remained silent, playing with your hands nervously.

“You haven’t seen your sister in fifteen years,” he pointed out.

“You made sure of that,” you raised an eyebrow at him and he leaned back on the chair, taken aback by your assumption. “You and your father, you made sure to isolate me from my family. It all makes sense now. It was all leading to this moment, wasn’t it?” You spat out angrily.

“My father is known for his schemes, I am just a knight,” Gwayne explained. Hurt on his face was now even more visible than before. “Was I ever a bad husband to you?” He asked and you blinked a few times before swallowing thickly.

“No,” you had to admit and looked away, not being able to stand his intense gaze on you anymore.

“Have I ever hurt you? Disrespected you? Belittled you?” He kept asking. “Have I ever abandoned you when you needed me?”

You looked down. You could not answer positively to any of these questions. Even while giving birth to each of your children, Gwayne had been there with and for you.

“No,” you answered quietly.

“Why are you choosing your sister then? A woman you haven’t seen in fifteen years?” He asked leaning in over the table to see your face better but you kept your head turned. “Fuck me, I don’t matter. But you’re choosing her over your children?”

His words outraged you and you finally faced him again.

“You do matter, Gwayne!” You gasped and he furrowed his brow. “You do matter, our children do matter, my life here – in Oldtown – matters. It was the most difficult decision I’ve ever made, don’t you think it was easy for me! But women are always forced to this – choose a side. Whenever some war is coming and they were sold into marriage before, they later have to choose between their father’s banner and their husband’s,” you told him angrily. “And the children… I knew you would never let me take them. And they’ll be safer here because there is war where I’m going.”

Gwayne chuckled at that as he shook his head.

“You? In the battle? On a dragon? My sweet darling, please,” he kept chuckling and you clenched your jaw.

What you hated the most was that he was right about finding it funny – you had no experience in battle and neither did Onyx.

“You’re not choosing between your husband and your father,” Gwayne stopped laughing as his tone became serious again. “Is Aegon not your brother? Is he not a Targaryen? Was your father not his father?”

You swallowed the lump in your throat. You remembered the four years old Aegon now – how you would spend some days at the nursery, carrying him around and telling him the same stories your mother had once been telling you.

“He is my brother,” you admitted with a sigh.

“I do understand the complicity of this conflict for you,” Gwayne reached his hand out to grab yours and squeeze your fingers. “That was why I told you to stay away from it.”

You pursed your lips and looked down at his hand squeezing yours. At this moment, you hated that it instantly felt like home. It made you feel safe and grounded.

“Do you love me?” You asked, suddenly, as you moved your gaze up to glance at his surprised face.

“Elaena…” He whispered and you furrowed your brow at the tears pricking his blue eyes. The eyes of Loras and Roslin – two of your beloved children. “I do,” Gwayne confessed. “I love you,” he squeezed your hand tighter and you felt your own eyes filling with tears.

You sniffed your tears back and nodded at him before moving your hand away from his grasp. You stood up as he watched you carefully but you simply turned around and approached the same door through which you had entered the kitchen before.

“Where are you going?” He asked you, still sitting by the table.

“To bed,” you answered. “I am tired and this night has been quite eventful,” you informed him. “Good night, dear husband.”

A few days had passed. It was awkward between you and your husband as you barely exchanged any words and tended to avoid each other but you remained to sleep in the same chambers as him. And now you were sitting in the nursery with little Roslin and Lysa, playing with dolls and caressing their hair lovingly. Your heart was clenching in your chest whenever you remembered that you had nearly abandoned them.

You had to be out of your mind.

The doors opened quietly and you looked up to see your husband. He walked inside with a soft smile and he handed you an unopened letter before sitting on the chair and watching you and the girls in silence.

You furrowed your brows at the letter in your hand. It was from your father-in-law. You looked up at Gwayne but he didn’t say anything, so you moved away slightly on the carpet and broke the wax seal carefully before opening the paper.

Dear Princess Elaena, My son has informed me about your loyalty to The House Hightower. I am aware how difficult this decision must have been for you but your choice does not surprise me. Those past fifteen years you have been nothing but a dutiful wife to my son and a dedicated Lady of Oldtown by his side. You have given me four grandchildren that I love dearly and not any less than I love Queen Alicent’s children. I have realised while writing this letter that you share many qualities with our rightful King Aegon II – you are both as much of a Targaryen as you are of a Hightower. In the upcoming war, all I ask of you, dear daughter-in-law, is for Onyx to protect Oldtown. Kind regards, Otto Hightower, Ser Hand of The King Aegon II Targaryen We Light The Way

You raised your eyebrow at Gwayne, confused. Why hadn’t he told his father about your doubts and your attempt to flee? Why had he so confidently written to him about your loyalty to House Hightower? You tossed the letter aside as if it was nothing and turned your head away to contemplate as your thoughts were a mess.

Rhaenyra was all you could think of these days. How lonely and abandoned she had to be out there, in the cold and unfriendly Dragonstone. But you were a prisoner inside The Hightower although you had no physical chains on you.

“Mummy?” Lysa asked for you and you looked at her with a smile. She was one of the chains, actually. But you were not mad about it.

“What is it, my sweet?” You crawled back to your girls on the carpet.

“Can we have lemon cakes for dessert?” She asked and you chuckled at her, caressing her sweet face.

Children… So unaware of the upcoming danger, so naive and innocent.

“Of course. We shall inform the cook,” you looked at your husband and he nodded before standing up and approaching the doors. “Gwayne?” You addressed him and he turned around before leaving the nursery. “I will send her a letter. Only one and you won’t tell your father about it,” you told him and after a while of hesitation, Gwayne nodded at you. “Thank you,” you told him and took a deep breath in before finally saying the words you should had told him a few nights ago. “I love you, too.”

Dear Rhaenyra, My beloved sister, please do not feel resentment towards me although I do realise you must feel betrayal and I do not blame you for that. I keep thinking of our last face-to-face conversation and how you told me that you wished you were more like me and I told you the same. I think we both can see it now – how different we are. But it is not the reason behind my betrayal. Should we even call it betrayal, dear sister? I do not know anymore. I only want you to know that a few days ago I made an attempt to flee and join you with Onyx by my side. My Lord Husband was the one to talk me out of it in a respectful manner. I was sent to Ser Gwayne fifteen years ago, three years after your wedding to Ser Laenor. I have not left Oldtown since then and have been fulfilling my duties without complaints. There is not a day passing without me thinking of you and my love for you but I have the same love for Aegon and Helaena for that matter. I do not favour siblings the way our father was favouring children. My choice was not made because I do not love you enough or because I love Aegon more. My choice was not made based on any of my siblings at all. My choice was made because of my children and my husband – they are what I call family these days. I still wish that this conflict never happened. And I hope I will never have to ride Onyx to battle against my own kin. I will never harm you or your children and I hope I can count on the same from you. Forever your beloved sister, Princess Elaena Targaryen, Lady Hightower

MASTERLIST

#gwayne hightower x reader #gwayne hightower x oc #targaryen oc #lilysfiction

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